Paper Heart
by Sheol
Summary: NarutoXSakura, SakuraXSasuke, Oneshot. Sasuke's life is at stake, and Naruto is faced with a choice. He can have Sakura for his, but at the expense of Sasuke's life He can save Sasuke, but at the expense of Sakura's love. What is the price of love?


Disclaimer: nope, do not own Naruto.

A/N: This idea just came to me and I was compelled to write it. I'm sorry if Naruto is out of character. This will be my first time ever using him in my writing. I came up with this idea while writing Dead By Dawn...

Written through Naruto's Point of View

Setting: Konoha, warm summer's day; Naruto is 15/ 16; after Sasuke comes back from Orochimaru to Konoha.

IMPORTANT!!!: For the sake of ease of reading, I have divided the text into italicized and nonitalicized words. _The italicized words are Naruto's memories._ The nonitalicized words are the present.

Read, Enjoy, Review!

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_"Kyuubi." A smooth, velvet voice echoed through the air._

_I turned to see Itachi standing there, his still form standing tall above the hokage's heads._

_"You!" I shouted. "So, I'm not the only one on Hokage Mountain today. What do you want."_

_He stood still, a dangerous calm upon his face, his features emotionless. His eyes were cold with no feeling to unlock from them._

_"Well, aren't you gonna attack me? I'm the one you want."_

_"No." He answered calmly._

_I stared at him confused. "What do you mean no."_

_In a smooth, even voice, unfaltering of any emotion, "I'm here for Sasuke. I'm going to kill him today."_

_I stared at him in disbelief. "Why." I uttered in awe._

_"If I can't have you, then I will have otouto."_

_How can anyone speak of killing their brother in a calm voice? As he turned and left, each movement graceful and even with stealth, his lack of emotion left me cold._

**Paper Heart**

I sat leaning up against the tree staring up at the clear blue sky. It is amazing, how when there is not a cloud in the sky, the bluest parts of the sky take on a myth all their own. They are so deep, like the ocean, a depth I could never reach to, no matter how hard I try.

I turned my head. It's just like her.

There she was, Sakura. She sat in the middle of the flower field, gently plucking flowers and arranging them in her lap. Her pink hair pulled back away from her face in a blue ribbon. Her pale, creamy skin glistened with a sheen of sweat beneath the high sun. Her red lips were pinned beneath her ivory white teeth in concentration, as her brows lightly furrowed on her face.

I watched her red lips pinned there, the thin white pressure circling around her teeth in the pool of redness, and I imagined it was me biting the lips. I could moan from the thought, as the heat pooled in my stomach. A light blush formed on her cheeks from the frustration, and she shook her head, thin whisps of pink whiping against the perfect skin, as she removed the flower.

I could only watch the grace, as the pink whisps whipped through the air, shining with the sun playing over them. He would never see it, not like me. Not in a million years. He would never see her true perfection.

And with Sasuke gone, I could finally have her, she would be mine.

_I sat nervously in my seat fiddling with my thumbs as Iruka read out the team groupings. Would I be paired with her? Would I? Come on, already! Out with it!_

_"And team seven would be Naruto, Sakura,"_

_Alright! Score! A huge grin plastered its way across my face. Things were looking up. I would be paired with the girl I love! I looked across to Sakura. A look of disappointment was on her face. I felt my heart sink. Does she really dislike me that much?_

_"And Sasuke."_

_I watched as Sakura's face brightened instantly. That glisten in her eyes, a thousand stars dancing through them and all for him. I watched as the light blush formed. A pain went through my heart. Why is it always Sasuke?_

I could laugh at that memory... the girl I love... I did not even know what love was. How could I have ever imagined.

I watched the graceful movements of Sakura's hands as she delicately and easily manuevered the flowers in her lap. I could imagine her hands working over my clothes like that, delicately removing every shirt, easily unbottoning it. A deep blush covered my face. Her hands expertly moving across my skin, down my abdomen, to...

I shook my head as the pressure began to move to my groin. I turned back to face Sakura. Her eyes were now critiquing every flower still in the ground, looking for the perfect one. She was so smart, so capable of quickly sizing them up, as her eyes looked over every flaw and complement the flowers held.

He would never see that either. He would never see how bright she truly is. And why is she with him? After all the times he hurt her, made her cry, denied her love?

And not did I once ever treat her this way. She really deserves much better than him. I would be doing her a favor by letting Itachi kill Sasuke.

_"Hey Sasuke!" Sakura yelled waving him down as she ran to catch up to him._

_I watched her go, the way her feet lightly carried her over the ground, the way her hair swung behind her as she moved in perfect rhythm with her body._

_Sasuke stopped and turned to face her, his expression the utmost serious._

_"Would you... like to walk with me." Sakura asked, her voice unsure. She stood there, feet crossed kicking the ground, hands behind back. That beautiful blush crossing her features._

_"I'm going to train. You should to instead of flirting all the time. Afterall, you're just as bad as Naruto. No, you're worse than Naruto."_

_I watched as Sakura stand there as he left, a crushed look on her face. Her eyes glistened with tears and features contorted into a look of pain. I wanted so badly to hold her, to be the one to remove that hurt from her, to be the one who made her smile._

_"Hey Sakura! I'll walk with you!" I yelled out in excitement._

_"Get lost Naruto!" Her face was flushed with embarrassment, mostly over the rejection..._

If I was the one to who made her smile, she would never be sad. If I was the one she loved, she would never be alone. She would not cry anymore. She would not ache. Because I would never hurt her like he did.

I would walk with her when she asked, hold her when she cried in happiness. I would revolve all around her.

And with him gone, I could. If he was finally gone, I could mend her broken heart. She would turn to me in her sorrow, and I would be there for her, while she slowly fell in love with me... like she loves him.

_I sat beside the angel in the moonlight. Yes, that is what she is. An angel. I watched as the pale light shined across her features contrasting the light with the shadows over them. Her eyes sparkled as she stared up at the moon. Her lips seemed even redder now against her milk white skin, and the pink tresses flowed down the side of her face._

_The reddness of her lips dangled there, like an apple in the garden of eden. Something if, I should obtain the wisdom of its taste, I would forever be cast out of my paradise... because once I taste such beauty, I will never be able to live without it._

_But I could have a touch, right? I slowly moved my hand forward, and gently glided it over her lips, her silky smooth lips. Sakura turned quickly and looked to me, a shocked look on her face. I blushed lightly, and withdrew my hand._

_"I'm sorry, Sakura, it's just that..." My heart beat quickened. Should I tell her?_

_Sakura looked at me with pity. "I'm sorry too Naruto."_

_And my heart ached again._

And yet I still did not know what love was.

I watched Sakura as she leaned over her flower arrangement on all fours, her back arched elegantly under the sun. She reached forward and plucked the flower from the ground, a look of satisfaction on her face.

I imagined what it would be like, to lie beneath her in the sun, while she arches over me, pink hair flowing all around me in a shower. I felt the heat from the thought press beneath my skin as I imagined her touching me again, her expert hands all over my chest, body crawling over mine. My skin began to tingle with anticipation as her smooth skin collided with mine, my fingers tracing circles in her velvet creamy skin. The growing pressure in my stomach ached.

I watched as she sat back down amid the flowers, and with a light blush brought it up to her nose, her soft lips pressing against the peddles. My heart ached, and I touched my fingers where her lips once were.

_"Naruto! Naruto!" My name on her lips, it was pure heaven._

_I turned expecting, but instead saw Sakura running to me, tears gleaming from her emerald eyes. She gripped the front of my orange jump suit in desperation. Her face was contorted into an unimaginable pain, and I could see a light in her eyes dying. It frightened me._

_"Sakura what is it? What's wrong?" My voice shook._

_"It's Sasuke! He- he's gone. He went to Orochimaru."_

_And I knew it was the truth, because I could see her heart breaking with every word. Her hands quivered against my chest, as she stared up at me, pleading for me to do something._

_I gave her my confident smile, and shot a thumbs up to her._

_"Hey, don't worry Sakura! I'll bring him back! I promise!"_

_And deep inside I was terrified, I was shaken to my bones... by her eyes._

I watched her as she proudly held the arrangement in her hands. It wasn't a very good arrangement, but held up to her flawless face the flowers took on a beauty all their own. They were so beautiful, contrasting with her soft, even skin, the deep ocean of her sea- green eyes. She reached behind her head and tugged on the ribbon. Her hair spilled out around her shoulders framing her face, joining the stray tresses that have been spilling out absent- mindedly. And she began to bind the flowers together.

_I held her quivering form in my arms, my shirt wet with her tears. How many times have I held her since that selfish bastard left? Does he even know what he has done to her?_

_I stared at her blank face pressed against my chest, the sunken eyes that once held so life now dead. The pale skin that held her like a ghost, and my heart clenched with fear._

_Will she die here? In my arms? Against my chest?_

_"Hey, don't worry Sakura. I'm gonna bring him back, remember?"_

_The angel didn't move. She laid there against me with her clipped wings and broken halo. And I felt sick, because I had been so excited at first when he didn't return to me. I pictured myself nursing her back to health, her heart slowly turning towards me day after day as it was me there for her, not him._

_But instead her heart as slowly blackened day by day, with each death blow of his no return choking the life from her lungs. She slowly looked up to me, with caged eyes, green eyes turning inward from the pain, her lips a pale pink._

_"Promise." She whispered._

_"Promise." I reassured her._

_And it was that promise that kept her alive. And three years later, I had kept my promise. Sasuke returned._

I watched as Sasuke crossed the field towards her, his white kimono glowing beneath the sun. She looked up to him as he stretched out his hand, her face brightened, the blush deepening, and he drew her up.

Sakura looked up in adoration to him, with eyes that I so coveted to look at me like that. Just once. Sasuke wrapped his arms around her and she melted into his frame, perfectly molding with his. And then there lips locked. He pressed his lips into her softness and drew her into his mouth.

I watched with envy and slowly drew my tongue over my lip, imagining the taste of her coveted first kiss.

_In a smooth, even voice, unfaltering of any emotion, "I'm here for Sasuke. I'm going to kill him."_

_I stared at him in disbelief. "Why." I uttered in awe._

_"If I can't have you, then I will have otouto."_

_How can anyone speak of killing their brother in a calm voice? As he turned and left, each movement graceful and even with stealth, his lack of emotion left me cold._

I stared at Sasuke as he held Sakura staring into her loving eyes. That look on Sakura's face, that look of pure adoration, of pure love, eyes glistening into his with each beat of it... my heart doubled over in pain as I thought back to the tortured look on her face as I held her when she cried for him, begged me to bring him back.

And I felt the sickness rise in me. How can I speak of killing Sasuke so calmly... knowing what it will do to Sakura?

My lack of emotion left me cold.

_Hey, don't worry Sakura, I'm going to bring him back, remember?_

_Because I love you..._

I walked up Hokage mountain slowly rounding the faces of the great leaders who now look over Konoha. My face will never be among theirs... who knew. I saw his pale form standing on the hokage's heads, his ebony hair blowing across his blank face, brows lightly tensed in thought. He gracefully caught the stray hairs, and tucked them back beneath his ears.

I didn't run from him, I didn't shout. I didn't say anything at all.

I turned and looked back to Konoha. I watched as Sasuke and Sakura slowly walked down the streets of Konoha hand in hand, Sasuke carrying the flowers Sakura made for him. I could see in my head Sakura's eyes glistening with happiness, the love pouring from her heart over him.

_Sakura held Sasuke tightly crying into the nook of his neck. Sasuke held her, a look of guilt on his face over the pain he caused her. I could barely make it out, but I heard him whisper his apology._

_"Thank you, Naruto." She cried out, her words muffled. "Thank you for keeping your promise."_

But she will never know it. Because I never told her. And he will never love her like I do. He will never see her grace like I do. And everyone knew the lust I had for her, they saw the way I looked at her, the way I tried to impress her, but none of them ever knew...

"It's still not fair. That should be me beside her." And what I would not give to be the one holding her hand right now, the one she looked at with those eyes...

I felt the devil wrap his arms around my shoulders possessively, as he cupped one side of my face from behind and laid the other hand on my chest. The icy cold of his flesh washed into my body chilling my blood.

And then his smooth, calm voice filled my ears.

"You could have let me kill him."

"No." Because that is the one thing I would not sacrifice for her love... her happiness. "And you knew that."

Silence.

"I planned on it."

I watched their forms disappear together in the distance, hand in hand, and felt satisfied that the angel was happy. A small smile spread across my lips in peace, as my heart ached over the loss of her lips, her smile, her smell, her touch... for her happiness... for the final time since I last held her crying form, knowing it will never be me she begs for...

My paper heart ripped into its final shreds at the loss.

And I closed my eyes, as Itachi took me, knowing none of them will ever know...

"I love her."

A/N: Please review, and yes, this is a one shot.


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